Burning Water
by Calico134
Summary: After managing to escape the Fire Nation, the last thing Hikari wants is to join the number one group being hunted by them. But what choice does she have?
1. Waking Up

I have been looking forward to this fanfiction. I hope everyone gives me a review. But no flames please. I wrote this with a friend, so she deserves half the credit. Sadly though, she does not have an account at this time. So enjoy and please review!

{BURNING WATER}

The ice felt cold against my face. I don't know how long I'd been running, but I couldn't run anymore. Escaping the Fire Nation was difficult, but I could always hide in the Northern Water Tribe (perks of being a water bender). Footsteps alerted me of his presence before his shadow fell across my limp form. I could feel him brush my hair away and check for a pulse. I shifted towards him, he was warm.

"What's your name?" I heard.

His voice was fuzzy as I struggled to remain conscious.

"Hikari." I whispered.

He cradled me against him as I lost all coherent thought and a black wave engulfed me.

{BURNING WATER}

I woke to muted voices. I shook my head only to have a wave of pain shoot through me.

"Sokka, she's awake." A female voice said.

Rustling sounded and a hand was placed on my forehead. I opened my eyes to be face-to-face with a girl. Her blue eyes stood out strikingly against her dark skin and dark locks of brown hair were braided neatly down her back. She stood and removed her hand.

"I'm Katara, and this is my brother Sokka."

Behind her was a tall boy about 15. His blue eyes matched Katara's and his brown hair was pulled back into a short ponytail.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"You're in the Northern Water Tribe."

I knew that.

"Yes, but where?" I pressed.

"In our tent, we've been staying here for about a week." Katara replied.

I sat up quickly.

"How long have I been out?"

"About two days."

My stomach growled and I blushed.

"Sounds like someone is hungry!" a new voice said.

A boy close to the age of 12 walked inside. He had no hair, but arrow shaped blue tattoos were painted plainly on his skin. Anyone who had taken a class knew that he was an airbender.

"I'm Aang, the Avatar." He said.

I smiled and slung my legs over the edge of the bed. My stomach spoke again and Katara giggled.

"Let's get you something to eat and some warmer clothes. You nearly froze out there in that kind of clothing." She said leading me to the other side of the tent.

After shooing the boys out, I received a warmer set of clothes and some food.

"So Sokka told me your name is Hikari." Katara said as I was eating.

I nodded.

"What are you doing so far from the Fire Nation?"

The question caught me off guard until I remembered that up until about thirty minutes ago I had been dressed in Fire Nation clothing.

"I'm not from the Fire Nation. Those damn bastards are the reason I can't be with my mother." I hissed.

Katara visibly jumped at the remark and I expected her eyes to fill with pity as most did. But all I saw was cold understanding.

"The Fire Nation killed my mother. All I have now is her necklace." She motioned to the dark blue choker tied around her neck.

"Then you understand. Most just pity me. I can't go anywhere there without their piteous looks."

"In the Fire Nation? How do you walk freely as a water bender?" Katara asked in wonder.

"How did you know?"

"How else would someone be able to get past the Northern Water Tribe walls?" she laughed.

"Because I was part of a disgusting project. Worse than that, I was the only successful outcome." I spat the last sentence.

"Oh." Katara averted her eyes and dropped the subject.

"So you want to know why I am here." I stated.

Katara nodded her head solemnly.

"I came here because it was my only escape. Away from that damned Fire Nation." I clenched my fist.

Katara placed her hand over my fist gently.

"You are welcome to journey with us." She said quietly.

I looked her in the eye, "Would it be worth the danger? I am worth much to the Fire Nation Army."

She chuckled.

"It seems that you and Aang are on the same boat."


	2. Memories

Alright! Sorry for the long wait! This gives a little more insight into who Hikari is and why she is that way. This is a really long chapter so I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review please!

{BURNING WATER}

"_Hikari…" a gentle voice called._

_I wanted to say 'not now' like a normal child, but what choice did I have. I rose out of bed and followed the lady in black. It was time for my training, part of my daily ritual since I was old enough to bend. She took me to the brightly lit court yard, and I wondered why today seemed a bit different. There were spectators today; finely dressed ones at that. Most likely some of the Fire Lord's close advisors, here to see his majesty's greatest achievement._

"_Listen here Hikari." The sweetness in her voice made me sick. _

_A young boy, near my age, was led into the court yard. This was different on a huge scale; I had only used my bending on dummies. His fighting posture was horrific, and he shook terribly. His skin clung to his bones like a wet rag, and he was covered in dirt. But what I remember to this day is his eyes haunting and gaunt, sunken into his skull. I fidgeted under his blank stare._

"_You will fight this boy, but not until that man finishes speaking. Now be quiet and stand still." The lady in black snapped._

"_Welcome. I see that everyone is in attendance. The Fire Lord is pleased to know that his advisors take interest in his experiment." The man began, "She is quite a strong bender. We have trained and documented her progress. She is the first successful bi-bender. Both fire and water are under her control."_

_The group gave a chaste chorus of claps. That's all I had amounted to be, a sick hybrid._

"_She is the ultimate weapon of the Fire Nation. If all goes accordingly, we will soon acquire an army of fighters of her stature. And think, she is merely eight years of age." _

_That's all I was, a weapon._

"_Begin." The lady in black whispered in my ear._

_I stepped closer to the boy, and the crowd took steps backwards. We began the circling, the dance that begin every fight. I lash out at him with a whip of water, accentuated with spiral of fire. The group gives pleased applauds. The boy land with a thump and I freeze his hands to the ground before he can move. I stung him with whip after whip of water. I was just a thing, not a person. I had not feelings. I was merciless, heartless._

"_Well done, child." The speaking man said._

_I don't even think he knew my name. Not that he would bother to use it._

"_This way." She whispered, moving me inside. "It's time to get you cleaned up."_

_I looked down at my clothes, distinguishing dark spots on the red fabric. Blood. I looked back at my opponent, who still lay frozen to the ground. His blood had mixed with some of the melting ice, creating a disturbing scene. His blank eyes stared back at me, but I realized that this time it was because he was dead._

"_Hurry now." The last look I stole was of a few fire benders gathered around the boy._

_They did not bother with slowly melting the ice or picking it away. Instead they just lit the boy on fire. I could still feel his eyes on me as he was engulfed in flames._

{BURNING WATER}

_I had not cried before that night. I could not forget the boy. I had nightmares, always with his eyes staring, pleading, to end him. Or to save him, I could not tell. I dreamed of what his life was like, free of what I had to bear._

_I dreamed of what his family was like. What his mother would say when she got the news, that another child had killed her child? I dreamed of the Fire Nation's brutality. I wish I could speak to the boy, even to this day, and apologize. But some things are never possible._

_I was woken early in the morning, apparently for a meeting with the Fire Lord himself. I had seen him many times, as he watched my training with a close eye. The lady practically pulled me by the hand towards the Fire Lord's chamber. But I was still plagued by horrifying images of yesterday's events. _

_The speaking man greeted us at the door, and took in my sleep deprived appearance. He exchanged irritated words with the lady in black, before she pulled me to the side, straightening my clothes and hair. When the speaking man seemed satisfied, he opened the door for us. _

"_My, my…" the Fire Lord began after we were seated, "You've progressed nicely. How did the fight turn out yesterday?" _

_He was addressing the speaking man. He cleared his throat before replying._

"_Very well; she won without challenge. I hope to find her a stronger opponent to widen her skills." _

_The Fire Lord nodded, "I agree. She is simply marvelous. A fighting genius, but with societal manners."_

_It was at this time I noticed Azula seething not too far from us, obviously observing from the concealment of a column. Her eyes held a fire that frightened me, but I did not let that show. To do so would only give her an advantage._

_The Fire Lord dismissed us shortly, and I was allowed the freedom of roaming the court yard. I loved the duck pond. Usually I was kept under close surveillance. They wanted to take no chances with me escaping. But at this moment, I was completely free. The speaking man had paper work to do, and the lady in black was called off to assist a royal family member. Not even a guard was posted in their absence. Maybe they had forgotten._

_I sat quietly in the shade of a tree by the duck pond, enjoying the experience of being completely alone. But that experience was short-lived. Azula parked herself right next to me, and he menacing presence was nearly overwhelming._

"_So, Daddy likes you. Let's hope it's not better than me. He's sure to like me better." She enlightened me._

"_Really? It seems he's taken quite a liking in me. Feeling threatened, princess?" I rarely talked, but that was because I knew what I could say._

_Most things would have me dead. She huffed and jumped to her feet. _

"_Damn you to hell!" She screamed, flinging a string of fire in my direction._

_I had little time to react, leaping out of the way. I inspected my injuries: only a burn to the wrist._

"_You're going to be sorry you were ever born!" She growled._

_I ran to a more open space, and she grabbed at my shirt, ripping it open in the back. I kicked her foot out from under her and she collapsed in a dusty heap. _

"_Bitch!" I wondered how she got away with this language. I imagine she didn't._

_I smiled victoriously, but she rose quickly and slapped me. She attacked me furiously afterwards, fire whip in hand. It stung, but I knew that I could not bend on the Fire Nation Princess. I would be punished mercilessly if I did. And it would be far worse than this. _

_I curled in on myself, wishing for the lady in black or the speaking man to come to my aid. But they did not come soon enough. I was burned, and scarred. The terrible sensation of her fire on my burning flesh is etched into my memory._

I woke with a start, causing Katara to moan and roll to her side, facing away from me. I sighed, pushing myself from the bed. I felt better moving around. I guess the ice had irritated my scars, bringing back unwanted memories from a life I wished I could forget.

My brown hair, which I highly prized because it was the most dominant trait I had received from my mother, was a curly tangled mess. It was always curly, which was unusual in the Fire Nation. It made me smile. It stuck to my sweat leaden forehead that I wiped with a damp rag. I lifted up the back of my shirt, inspecting the red scars. They stretched across my back hideously.

It had been six years since that day. But I never forgot it. I was a different person. I felt things now, didn't I?

"Those are some nasty scars."

I jumped at the new voice, yanking down my shirt. Aang stood leaning against the door frame. I relaxed slightly.

"That's the Fire Nation for you; Princess Azula to be exact." I said drily.

I didn't want him to know how much it bothered me.

"Really? How did it happen?" he questioned.

I made my way past him out of the bathroom, "You would like to know."

"Yes I would."

I froze and turned back to him, surprised that he did not catch the hint that I would rather not talk about it. What was wrong with him?

I frowned. "Look kid, there are some things that are just better left unsaid. Stay innocent, because there are some things in this world that will rip you to shreds."

"Like knowing it's entirely your fault that everyone you ever knew is dead, because you decided to run away?"

I wondered if he expected me to look away guiltily, but I held his gaze. I could see the storm raging within them.

"You might want to get to bed; we have lessons in the morning." He said to break the dense silence.

I nodded, thinking better of arguing about the idea of lessons. I slid back under the covers, releasing another long sigh. I would never forget the brutality of the Fire Nation.


	3. I'll Be There for You

Here's chapter 3! And to my friend Cheyenne A, I can't seem to find you on , but I am a girl and I would love to write a chapter with you! I absolutely love getting feedback, so it would be wonderful to be your friend. I'm only sorry I can't PM you!

{BURNING WATER}

The sun rose silently over the horizon as we climbed the stairs. I wasn't exactly looking forward to training, since it was a daily thing when I was in the Fire Nation. It was hard not to find things that reminded me of that time.

"Hikari! Come on!" Aang called from the top of the stairs.

"Coming!" I took them two at a time, quickly reaching Aang and Katara.

"Glad to see that you are on time."

I turned to see a man who I assumed was the master.

"This is Master Pakku." Katara motioned to the man.

"It is very nice to meet you." I bowed politely.

"Well, I've heard about you; the little Fire Nation runaway." My eyes widened, "Let's see what you can do."

He smiled and slid into a fighting stance. I returned the smile, following in turn by preparing myself.

"Bring it on, old man."

He made the first move, sending a wall of water in my direction. I moved my hands in a fast circle, spinning a cocoon of fire. The fire cut through the water, and it sizzled away into the lightening sky. I could hear a gasp of wonder from them, as it was the first time they had seen me fire bend.

"Impressive." Master Pakku conceded, but was quick on his feet with shards of ice flying at me.

Sliding my hand in an arc, a sheet of ice caused a rebound of the shards. Without a second to spare they melted and reformed into a ball of water that I surged toward him. He quickly moved to dodge it, but I'd planned that through too. On the opposite sides, walls of water closed in, and it caught him off guard.

Making quick work, I used the three groups of water to spin a tight ball; hollow of course. Freezing it, I smiled triumphantly. Master Pakku tapped on the inside, and I wondered why he didn't unfreeze it. The watching group erupted in laughter.

"Well done. I see you have been trained well." He unfroze the ball, and it dropped limply to the ground.

"Thank you." I bowed again, pleased that he was pleased.

I think it was the first time that someone ever praised me, because they were happy with me.

{BURNING WATER}

"I can see why you are so highly prized to the Fire Nation." Katara said later, as we watched the sun set.

It was my suggestion to take a walk, hers to stop and watch the sunset. I enjoyed spending time with another girl, considering all I had in the royal palace was Azula and her minions. There was this time though, that I managed to escape the guards outside the palace. I ran into a girl my age, who quickly became my friend.

"How did you escape?" Katara's question broke through my thoughts.

"It's a long story. One I'd rather not tell." I answered.

"Ok. I understand." She murmured.

"Do you really?"

She looked at me, her blue eyes questioning.

"I understand that you've been through a lot, and that you don't have anyone to be there for you." She said.

I opened my mouth to reply, but she continued. "And I want you to understand that I'll always be here for you."

We locked eyes and it was quiet for a moment. Katara turned back to the sunset.

"Thank you." That was all I could say.


	4. Flowers and a Cave

Alright, so a little quick at the beginning, but a lot of plot development at the end. Hope this wasn't totally sudden! But I had to do it to get the plot bunny hoppin'!

{BURNING WATER}

Waking to the Fire Nation at the Northern Water Tribe's doorstep was not the most pleasant way to start off the morning. But instead of going with Katara, Yue, and Aang to the Spirit Oasis, I chose to stay and fight. Seeing Aang's power was amazing. I finally understood why he was such a threat to the Fire Nation. And _poor_ General Zhao; I always hated him.

I really think we left the Northern Water Tribe too quickly. It was my safe haven, but Master Pakku deemed Katara able to teach Aang well. So that meant it was time for them to leave. Time for me to leave.

The general at the Earth Kingdom military base was absolutely insane! I was scared to death for Katara. But at least none of the general's soldiers were able to lay a hand, or rock, on me.

Now I sat quietly next to Appa. One of the female nomads was braiding flowers into my chocolate locks. I had changed clothes again, this outfit more appealing than the bulky furs. It was a halter top that showed my midriff, and some simple loose capris. Sokka was complaining again about which route to take, considering our last road was cut off.

"Just go through the cave Sokka! What are you, a big sissy-baby?" I taunted.

He jumped to his feet, dashing over to confront me.

"I am not! If you're so clever then you find a way to get to Omashu!" he shouted.

"I just said that we should just go through the cave-tunnel thingy." I said drily.

Aang and Katara laughed, and since the lady had finished, I hopped off of Appa. It'd been like this between me and Sokka since we met, and he saved my life.

"Let's get walking!" I clapped my hands over my head and started into the darkness.

Everyone followed a bit slower, but quickly hurried into the cave as Fire Nation soldiers appeared on our heels.

"Damn, they just don't give up!" I laughed.

But my smile quickly disappeared as we were engulfed in darkness. I was not expecting them to block the entrance to the tunnel.

"Guess we don't have much of a choice now do we?" Katara said as Sokka grumbled to the front of the crowd.

He inspected the map grasped in his hands and led the way.

{BURNING WATER}

"Are we there yet?" I groaned, several hours later.

"No!" Sokka shouted.

I sighed, loudly just to annoy Sokka. It would have gotten a great reaction out of him, if I hadn't been knocked to the ground by the shaking earth.

"What _is_ that?" Katara shouted over the rumbling.

Rocks dropped heavily with thump to the ground, as we dodged out of the way. Sokka quickly grabbed me by the waist and pulled me out of the way. I was out the minute we hit the ground.

{BURNING WATER}

"_Can you see it?" I asked._

"_No." I pulled him farther up the hill._

_It was a magical sight, the tall grass mixed with the wildflowers that touched the perfect blue sky. _

"_How about now?" _

"_No." He replied flatly._

_I tugged harder to reach the top of the hill. I didn't realize that I'd tripped until I felt the sharp pain in my knee. As I pulled it up to inspect it, I could see the scarlet drops pricking my skin._

"_The amazing bi-bender of the Fire Nation can take down an army, but cries at a scraped knee?" Zuko joked._

_He grasped my chin and lifted my face, wiping away a tear with his other hand. I blinked at him._

"_Come on." He kneeled down, and I linked my arms around his neck._

_He stood, lifting me from the ground, and pulled me securely to his back. I tried not to pay attention to the way he held onto my thighs._

"_We're here."_

_I peek around Zuko's head to see that we had indeed reached the height of it. He set me down on a soft patch of grass, and reached for the bottom of his shirt, ripping off a shred. He wrapped it gently around my knee, and it makes me wonder why he is never this gentle to me around the palace._

"_Thanks." _

_It was quiet for a moment._

"_I told you its pretty." I whispered._

_He didn't reply. Instead he plucked a tiny white flower from the grass and placed it softly in my hair._

"_Zuko…" I didn't get a chance to finish as he placed his lips tenderly on mine._

_I was never much for his delicateness. He touched me as if I would break, or disappear in the next second. I responded with a much more passionate kiss, pushing him backwards in the grass. Until I remembered my painful knee. I rolled onto my back next to him, laughing._

"_I swear, there's no one like you." He murmured._

_I scooted closer to him and placed my hand on his chest, giggling._

"_Zuko, I've been told that all my life. Can't you be a little more original?" _

_He smiled, one of the few times. One of the times I got to see, because it was for me. He kissed me again and I laid my head on his chest._

_I'm going to miss you._

"Hikari, wake up." Sokka's soft voice invaded my dreaming, and I woke with a start.

"What happened?"

"The cave roof collapsed, we were separated from everyone else."

"Oh, ok." I guess being around grass again instead of ice had triggered the memory.

I had not dreamed of Zuko since I'd left, and I didn't plan on it. The reminder of leaving him made my heart squeeze.

"Ummm, Hikari?"

"Mmmm?"

"Can you get off me? I think we need to get out of this tunnel."

I opened my eyes to be face-to-face with Sokka.

"Whoa!" I pushed myself away quickly, the intimacy of the situation scaring me.

"Relax." Sokka stood and brush himself off, being careful not to light himself on fire with the torch. He then helped me to my feet.

"So how do we get out?" I asked.

"I'm not sure."

We wandered around for what seemed hours, but I imagine it was only about half an hour.

"This is hopeless." I said, deflated.

"No it's not, I'm sure we'll make it out." Sokka reassured me with a pat to the back.

I was burning up, so I reached back, pulling my hair up and holding it off my neck. Sokka was busy concentrating on the map, but looked up curiously, inspecting me up and down.

"What?" I gasped.

The heat was beginning to be a little much for me. I paid little attention to the clatter and rustling as Sokka's map fell to the ground. The next thing I felt was his lips on my neck, his hands knotting in my hair. His butterfly kisses moved up my neck and along my jaw line. He planted a hungry kiss on my lips, and I felt like melting into his arms.

He let out a startled cry as I pushed him away.

"What the hell?" I screamed.

Though I was just as much at fault, I directed my anger at him.

"What's wrong with you? Do you think you can just waltz over and kiss any girl?"

"You're not just any girl."


	5. Here's What Happened

"Shut up!"

I flung myself out of bed, kicking Sokka out of my way in the process.

"Ow!" He whined.

"Oh suck it up." I spat.

"You know, you're sexy when you're angry." He smiled lazily, propping himself up with an elbow.

I raised an eyebrow then rolled my eyes.

"Come on Twinkletoes!"

"Shut the hell up!" I shouted at the small earth bender.

"Well, good morning to you too, Firefly!" She gave a sarcastic wave and continued on with her torture on Aang.

"And stop with the damn nicknames!"

"Oh calm down, Hikari. She's only playing." Katara chided from the nearby pool.

"You're defending her?"

"Yea Sugarqueen. You didn't seem too happy with your nickname earlier." Toph said.

Katara grumbled, returning to her water bending. I sighed, ruffling my already wild hair. I felt arms slide around my waist as Sokka joined me outside. I swatted his shoulder and he backed off a bit.

"Uhh, Hikari, why was Sokka in your tent?" Katara questioned.

She was walking toward us while ringing out her hair. Toph smiled wickedly while Aang looked up curiously.

I stretched; I was never the blushing type. "It's not what you think. He came on his own to my tent and I was too lazy to kick him out." I yawned.

It was time for Sokka to be embarrassed. I smiled as he attempted to deny their accusatory statements.

"Oh relax you guys." I pulled off my shirt revealing a bathing suit top, "It's not his fault I'm so good looking."

I discarded my capris while they stared silently. I gave another sigh.

"I'm joking." I said flatly, heading over to the pool. "I'm going to practice some bending. Katara?"

I motioned for her to join me. She followed eager to get away from the rude earth bender.

"So why was Sokka in your tent? And I want the truth this time." Katara said as she passed the water back to me.

"I did give you the truth. That's really what happened. Once I'm asleep I don't much like to be woken up. If you want his motives, you'll have to talk to Sokka." I answered.

Her eyes reviewed me skeptically, "Is there something going on between you and Sokka?"

I dropped the water immediately.

"No! Ok? There's nothing going on! Can you just drop it?" I growled.

She scowled, straightening herself.

"Fine." She said curtly. "But I'll be here when you want to talk."

She waded to the other side of the pond, and I returned to absent mindedly bending.

What did happen last night?

_I rolled over, unable to get comfortable on this patch of rocky ground. Scooting this way and that didn't seem to help either. _

"_Hikari."_

_The voice pervaded my dreaming._

"_Wake up…" An unknown hand shook me._

_I moaned, shaking the hand off. There was a sudden pressure on my lips and my eyes flew open._

"_What the hell Sokka!" I shoved him away._

"_Sorry, you're just so cute when you're asleep." He said sheepishly._

"_No, I meant the fact that you're here. I told you this has got to stop!" I frowned._

_A voice in my head asked 'why?' and I figured it was better to ignore the voice._

"_You didn't seem to think that two nights ago." He said softly._

_I huffed, turning away from him to stare at the wall of my earthen tent Toph was nice enough to make for me._

"_Why does this bother you so much? We have feelings for each other don't we?" _

"_Do we?" I countered, "Or is this just a fun little affair?"_

_He was silent, contemplating the thought._

"_I don't know." He sounded genuinely confused._

_I turned back to him, crossing my legs. I ran a hand through my ruffled hair and leaned back against the wall. A long breath escaped my lips and my eyes closed. I was becoming sleepy again. Sokka's hand tickled a warm trail down my arm, leaving goose bumps in its path._

_I didn't have to open my eyes to know that he had shifted closer to me. I smiled playfully and jumped into action, shoving him up against the opposite wall of the tent. He blinked in surprise._

"_Bet you weren't expecting that!" I laughed._

_I kissed him hungrily. I pulled back abruptly for air, and flopped over onto my sleeping bag. _

"_Night, I'm tired." I whispered._

_The last thing I heard before drifting into a peaceful sleep was Sokka whispering._

"_She's something else."_


	6. Bibender Books

The heat was nearly unbearable. You'd think being raised in the Fire Nation would help you with warm climates, but I never tolerated heat very well.

"Is this necessary?" I groaned.

Why we were walking in the desert I did not know.

"Because Appa's tired and can't carry so many people in this heat."

I couldn't blame him, I wouldn't be able to do it. I whipped around, glaring at our most recent passenger. The professor donned a worried expression. I faced forward again, smiling victoriously.

"So where are we going again?"

"I tell you, the library is magnificent! It holds knowledge of nearly everything!" The professor exclaimed.

Everything? Maybe they'll have information on bi-benders…

"Look!" Katara called, a few yards ahead of the group.

A tall tower rose out of the sand, the only structure around for miles.

"Wow…how come we didn't notice that earlier?" I asked.

Everyone looked at me and shrugged. I continued trudging through the sand. I hate the desert.

{BURNING WATER}

"Whoa! Check this place out! It's so big!" I stared wide-eyed at the large expanse of knowledge presented in front of me.

There had to be something about bi-benders here.

"Welcome." The whole group jumped at the booming voice.

A great owl towered over us.

"To enter my library, you must present something worth value to add to my collection." He waited patiently after speaking.

Everyone deposited something in turn, and I fished around in my bag and pulled out a leather bound black book with a red Fire Nation symbol stamped plainly on the cover.

"What is this?" the owl questioned curiously as I held it out to him.

"It's a Fire Nation military journal."

"How'd you get your hands on that?" Aang asked baffled.

"There are so many things to take when you have hours to roam the Fire Nation Palace." I smiled.

The owl swiped his wing over my hand, and the leather bound tome instantly disappeared.

"You are free to inspect my library. But be forewarned, previous visitors have not had lucky findings." And with that he was gone.

{BURNING WATER}

"What are you looking for?" Katara frowned, watching me skeptically as I dug through stack after stack of books.

Her arms were overflowing with water bending scrolls.

"What do you plan on doing with those?" I eyed her strangely.

"Well…" She trailed off.

"You can't take all of them." I murmured, turning back to the shelf.

She waddled off and I pulled a dusty novel from the wood. Scrawled across the cover was: _Burning Water: The Inner Strength of the Bi-bender_. I slid another book off the shelf: _The History of Bi-benders_. I placed them gently in my bag, along with some bi-bending scrolls I had happened upon.

"Find anything?" Aang appeared suddenly next to me.

I tried not to show my surprise. "Yes, some important things." I smiled before securing the latch on my bag.

"That's good, but you may want to run now." Aang ducked around the corner before returning and hauling me away by the arm.

I glanced behind me to see Sokka and Katara running too.

"Damnit Sokka! What did you do?" The owl rounded the bookshelves, and my question was answered.

Aang let loose of my arm, and looked back again to make sure Sokka and Katara will still there. That resulted in me face-planting into the floor. I cursed under my breath and pushed myself up. Sokka assisted, but the owl was right on our heels.

"You would make quiet an exotic living specimen for my collection. There aren't many of you left, bi-bender." I shuddered at the thought.

Sokka shoved me up the rope while Aang lifted Katara out on his glider. I released a long breath when my feet hit the sand.

"Aang?" Katara's voice called worriedly, bringing me back to attention.

The library behind us was already gone, sunk in the sand. Aang was on his knees, sobs racking his body. I looked to Sokka for an explanation. He shook his head sadly.

"Appa's gone."


	7. Learning and Loving

I sat calmly on my sleeping bag, hidden away in the earth tent Toph had made me. We got along better and better now, but I guess that's because I'm more her style. Well, opposed to Katara that is. I pulled out _The History of Bi-benders _and flipped through the pages.

_The first bi-bender was created at the beginning of the Fire Nation war. Part of a military experiment, Fire Nation scientists attempted to create an "all-powerful" bender that could master all four elements, similar to the Avatar. They soon found out that other than the Avatar, it was impossible for all four elements to be controllable by one person. There was an exception though in the chi flow in certain individuals that allowed a second, opposing element to be mastered. _

_The scientists soon used this to their advantage, but with much trial and error. The first problem they encountered was that the mother and father must be two different, opposing benders. And even with that, the child must have the unique chi flow. It is a one in 5,000 chance that the baby will be born with the unique chi flow. It is even rarer that the child will be able to master both elements fully. _

_Usually one element is more dominant, leaving the child with a great difficulty in mastering the opposite element. There are cases where the child could even die because the two opposing elements cannot find a balance in the body._

_The first successful bi-bender the Fire Nation scientists trained was named Jun. Though he was weak as a child, he steadily became stronger. The army was never able to use him though, because he was too fragile. _

_After the eradication of the Air Nomads, the Fire Nation scientists relied on a steady stream of water benders from the South Pole. The combination of water and fire seemed to work better and became more appealing than the air and earth combination._

_Following this discovery, several successful bi-benders were produced. Though they were efficient in eliminating enemies, fatigue came to them too quickly. The scientists worked diligently to remove this unfortunate side-effect, but found nothing._

_Years after, a new team of scientists began using noble Fire Nation men in their studies. The bi-benders they produced steadily became more powerful, and soon were being sent into war._

_Special techniques have been formulated for training bi-benders, several of which involve living practice dummies._

I jumped as I heard rustling outside my tent. Sokka peaked past the blanket I kept at the entrance. He slipped inside nonchalantly.

"What the hell? Why are you here?" I demanded, like usual.

He gave me a cocky grin. "Just couldn't stay away, I guess."

I rolled my eyes. "What about Suki?"

"She had to go check on the pregnant lady."

I swatted him.

"Ow!"

It was quiet for a moment.

"What's that?" I followed Sokka's finger, which was pointing at the necklace Zuko had made for me.

I gulped. "It's a…necklace."

Sokka raised his eyebrows. "It looks like a betrothal necklace to me."

I stared at its ivory curves forming a fire lily. I remember the day Zuko presented it to me, stating how it was part of my heritage. It was laced on a red silk ribbon, which complimented the beautiful ivory flower. The fire lily was my favorite.

"Hikari? Is it? Did you have…someone in the Fire Nation?" Sokka questioned hesitantly.

I fingered the necklace. "Yes. He was my everything."

"What happened?"

"He went away. I haven't seen or heard from him since."

Sokka looked away. "What are you thinking?" I asked.

"Do you still love him?"

"I'll always love him."


	8. A Day in Ba Sing Se

I puffed out a breath, kicking a rock and smiling at the blue sky. It was such a nice day, and I had it all to myself! Ba Sing Se was a beautiful city, but just a bit creepy. Especially Judi. I shook off the thoughts of the wide-smiling hostess and stretched my arms out, enjoying the feeling of the warm morning air on my skin.

I had seven hours to kill before meeting the gang for dinner. I settled for strolling through the streets in my new loose capris and halter top. I traded out the blue for a green, and decided to wear my necklace. After talking to Sokka about Zuko (well not specifically mentioning it was him) I couldn't stop thinking about him. The day he gave me the betrothal necklace was one I could never forget.

_The garden at the Fire Nation palace was always my favorite place to be; specifically the section with all the flowers that could be grown in the Fire Nation. The fire lilies were my favorite._

"_Miss Hikari?" The maid who was watching me called. "You have a visitor."_

_I turned to find Zuko waving the maid away. I smiled._

"_Hey, is it time for a training session already?" I joked._

_Zuko scowled. "Those are so pointless."_

_I laughed. "You're so cute when you're angry."_

_His cheeks tinted red and he moved closer. I looked back to the fire lilies._

"_They're beautiful." I said._

_Zuko grabbed my hand, placing something smooth and silky in it and whispered, "You're more beautiful."_

_He tucked a stray hair behind my ear as I opened my palm to view what he had given me. A slim piece of ivory had been carved into a magnificent fire lily in full bloom. It was attached to a silk ribbon._

"_Thank you." I breathed as he tied it around my neck. _

_Zuko looped his arms around my waist, giving me a hug from behind._

"_I love you, Hikari."_

"_I love you too, Zuko."_

A couple catcalls knocked me out of my memories. I had wandered by a dojo, and a few of the boys were hanging around outside. I smiled and they beckoned me over.

"Hey pretty girl, how would you like to hang out with some master earth benders?"

"Master earth benders?" I questioned. "Sure, that is, if you can beat this pretty girl."

They chuckled, and agreed, "Alright, if you insist."

More guys began to gather around to watch as I circled with my first opponent.

"Get her Lee!" Some of the boys called, while others just cheered as I took my first shot.

My water whip cut straight through the boulder he sent my way, and the crowd let out an 'oooohhh'. He then tried to knock me out of the dirt ring by throwing multiple earth disks. I knew better than to use my fire bending. I kicked each disk, splitting them into shards of rubble. The crowd cheered as I was suddenly thrown up against the wall, held in place by four stone cuffs.

The boy gave a triumphant smirk as he approached me.

"Looks like I've won, pretty girl." The boys behind him laughed.

I waited for him to get closer. "Really now?"

He was only a foot away when I gave a quick flick with my fingers, and a ball of water flew out of the nearby drains, knocking the boy off his feet. With a precise slice, I cut away the cuffs. Raising my hands above my head, then sweeping them to the side, a large wave filled the courtyard were the fight had taken place. When the water seeped back into the drains, I was the only one left standing.

"Looks like _I've_ won." With satisfaction I marched out of the dojo.

{BURNING WATER}

Well, I'd managed to waste two hours. Maybe it was time for a little shopping. The market stalls were so cute and quaint, but unlike in smaller towns, they held that air of busyness. I stopped to look at a few stalls: a food stand, where I grabbed a snack, and a jewelry stand. The stand was in just the right place, the sun bouncing off the shiny jewels in the most beautiful manner.

"May I help you?" A petite girl behind the counter asked.

"I'm just looking." I smiled.

It was quiet for a moment as I continued looking. The girl had mousy brown hair that was pulled up in a short ponytail. Her clothes were a soft green dress, and she had a crisp craft apron.

"You're so lucky! You're betrothal necklace is beautiful. You must have really caught a good man!" The girl exclaimed suddenly.

I squirmed and laughed awkwardly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not getting married. It was a gift from my love two years ago."

"Oh." The girl sounded piteous, "Did something happen to him?"

"You could say." I replied curtly.

"Well, I wish you luck." The girl smiled gently, and I nodded before moving on.

{BURNING WATER}

The sun started to dip into the west, turning the streets a shimmery red. It was just about time to head back to the house.

"Hey!" I turned to see the boys from the dojo running towards me.

"What?" I demanded, ready to get some food.

My stomach grumbled loudly and I let out a frustrated sigh. What could they want?

"We want a rematch!"

Of course.

"Look, kids, I don't have time."

"You just can't beat us again!" It wasn't the boy I had beaten earlier that said this.

He was smaller, with scraggly black hair and a smudged face. I put my hands on my hips, tapping my foot impatiently.

"I'm sure I can." I stated.

A few of the older, larger boys appeared, ready for a fight. My stomach grumbled again.

"Prove it!"

"Look kid, I really want to get home and eat. I'm not one to mess with when I'm hungry." I warned, but the group of boys only moved closer.

"You're just a chickenpig!" The boys began to shout.

That was it. I pulled water from the fountain behind me, using it to push the whole group of boys up the wall and freeze them there. I panted for a minute, trying to catch my breath.

"Have fun boys!" I called saucily as I walked away.

It was time for some food. I was the last one to arrive back from our day off. Everyone greeted me as I joined them at the table. The discussion ensued about where we had gone and what we had done on our day off.

"But it was great! I can't believe how mad they were!" Toph laughed as she recalled dumping a few girls in the canal.

"So what did you do today, Hikari?" Aang inquired.

"Oh," I smiled a secret smile, "Nothing interesting."


	9. A Nasty Reunion

"Oh! I'm really going to miss the boys!" I smiled as Katara made a surprised face.

"Really now?"

"Well what can I say? I've become attached."

We shared a laugh before entering the meeting room. The generals had already begun, and quickly delivered us a scroll that needed to be signed by the Earth King. It was a comfortably sunny day, and I think everyone believed things were going well. Sokka had gone to see his and Katara's dad, and Aang to unlock the Avatar State. That left me and Katara here to handle the official business for the invasion.

It was a leisurely stroll to the palace, and Katara spotted a tea shop that piqued her fancy.

"How about some tea?" She questioned.

"You and Momo go; I'll take care of the scroll." I offered.

"Alright." She handed over the scroll and I continued on to the palace.

Not too far from the tea shop, Katara ran to me in a panic.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked the panting female.

"Tea shop…Iroh…Zuko…Fire Nation!" She wheezed.

I swallowed nervously. "No way!"

Katara nodded profusely. I laughed awkwardly.

"We need to tell the Earth King!"

The palace was quiet, and the only people in the throne room were the Kyoshi Warriors. Katara was in before me, shouting about the two Fire Nation outlaws.

"Calm down." I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh really?" My ears perked at the sound of the Kyoshi warrior's voice.

I was not here when they had arrived in Ba Sing Se, but I knew that voice. It sent ice running through my veins.

"Katara!" I said, worry pricking my voice.

"What? And where is the earth king?" She demanded.

"Oh, he had to take care of a little…business." Azula smirked.

"Damnit Azula what did you do!"

Azula shook her head. "You still have such a feisty temper Hikari. I guess some things don't change."

"Looks like you haven't changed a bit, either. You're still just as bitchy."

Azula scowled, and without looking away from me said, "Take care of them."

It was then that I noticed Mai and Ty Lee. Well, it looked like they were still playing as Azula's minions. I swiftly knocked Mai's hand away. She was faster than I remembered. Now I felt handicapped because of my lack of water. I nearly missed catching her head on fire with a kick. My fire bending was a little rusty because of disuse in Ba Sing Se.

Mai took advantage of this, and her dumb needles hurt!

"Katara!" I called. There was no answer.

I peered around Mai while dodging a kick. Dai Li officers had her hands in cuffs, her body limp. I cursed under my breath as I realized this was Ty Lee's doing. A piercing pain in my shoulder knocked me off balance and I found myself cornered by the two of them.

"Still Azula's minions I see." I spat at them.

Mai's face remained emotionless while Ty Lee's displayed a hurt expression.

"You know," she began, "you could still work with us. I'm sure the Fire Nation wouldn't mind if you came back."

"I would mind." I hissed.

She shook her head sadly and Mai put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about her, Ty Lee. She's not coming back."

I screeched as I felt the Dai Li lock my hands together. It was no use struggling, even though I did. I tumbled down the rocky passage way with Katara. It was good that she had regained use of her arms, but I couldn't contain my anger.

"Damnit! I can't believe this!" I wanted to burn something to smithereens.

Katara looked sadly at me and continued to sit there as I paced. The crystals in the cave glowed a soft green, and the ceiling reached high over head.

"Damnit!" I shouted again, my voice giving a quiet echo.

"Calm down, Hikari." The voice wasn't Katara's.


	10. Nothing to be Done

Alright! I guess you would think this would be the last chapter (or maybe not) but it's not! Even though I'm following the plot line from the actual series, I'm not going to stop here! I'll probably keep going a little past the actual end of the series. And just so you know, from now on things are going to get A LOT more interesting. So enjoy! Review please!

**I don't own ATLA or any of its characters. Hikari, on the other hand, is my brain child :D**

{BURNING WATER}

I froze, not daring to even breathe. Katara had turned and was glowering at the enemy's presence.

"Why aren't you with Azula?" she spat; Katara received no answer.

I could feel his eyes still trained on me, and I could feel my anger slowly melting away as I faced the cave wall. I rested a hand on its cold, rough surface. My anger was gone, now I was only numb. I was not prepared to be face to face with him like this. Not with Katara, or with anyone for that matter. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat.

I finally turned to look at him, with guarded eyes. I did not want Katara to know how much his pain presence caused me. I could hear Katara shuffled on the gravelly ground, facing the wall also. Zuko was still staring at me; his eyes were not hostile though.

"Why did you leave?"

Zuko's words echoed slightly, and Katara turned curiously. I glanced with a strangled expression in her direction before focusing on Zuko again.

"Because I wanted my freedom from that damned place." I hissed.

I could see Zuko flinch slightly at my hostility, and my heart squeezed.

"Hikari? Did you know him?" Katara's questioned broke through the bubble of tension.

I didn't look at her as I answered. "I _used_ to. But it doesn't matter now."

I felt no victory as anger and hurt visibly burned in his eyes. I continued to stand at the wall, even as Katara moved to talk to Zuko. It wasn't until the earth began to rumble and Iroh and Aang appeared did I move from the wall. Aang inspected me after he shared a hug with Katara.

"You look pretty torn up." He reached a hand up to wipe my cheek gently. "I don't think I've ever seen you cry before. Did something happen?"

I looked at his wet hand in surprise, then wiped under my eyes with my own hand. I cleaned my face quickly, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm fine." Aang gave me a disbelieving look.

"You know, you don't have to bottle things up." Aang stated.

"I'm not! I'm fine!" I snapped.

I instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Aang smiled. "Just know that you have friends that will always have your back, and are here if you need someone to talk to."

"Thanks." Aang offered me a hug and I accepted, happy to have a hug that wasn't fake or romantic.

{BURNING WATER}

I tripped, scuffing my knee in the process. As the blood starting to bead at the open wound, I realized sadly that Zuko was not here to fix it this time. I dodged a quick blast of fire from Azula, and for a moment I wondered if the blast was actually directed at me or if I just happened to be in the way.

I dropped to the ground quickly as a flash of lighting erupted from Azula's fingertips. My stomach dropped and I pressed myself as close to the stone floor as possible. Her lighting always brought back images of her torturing me, and it terrified me. I jumped up as soon as I heard Katara scream.

It was just in time to see Aang drop from midair, the scorch mark of the lighting the only remnant of the terrifying attack Azula had bestowed upon him. I cursed under my breath, and leaped into the water to waterbend myself out of the cave as Katara had. I looked down at Zuko, who stood next to his sister, a scowl planted on his face.

He looked back at me, and I allowed a glimpse of my hurt. I could see it in his eyes too. The hurt. I shook my head; there was nothing he could do to fix what he had done. There was nothing anyone could do to fix what the Fire Nation had done.


	11. Scars of the Heart

The spray of the sea felt good on my face, but it did nothing to quell my queasy stomach. It felt as if the sloppy sea around the boat had taken up residence in my belly. I heard the clanking foot steps before I felt Katara's hand on my shoulder.

"How are you doing?"

I fidgeted with the edge of my cloak. "Fine. Just a bit nervous."

Katara smiled gently. "Well, Sokka is below deck. He was looking for you."

"Thanks." I returned the smile before pushing off from the railing and heading below deck.

Just as I reached the foot of the stairs, I was grasped roughly on both arms and slammed into the metal wall. The cool metal felt like ice on my heated skin. A pair of lips found their way to my neck, and I squirmed uncomfortably.

"Sokka," I managed to get out, "please, stop."

My arms were released instantaneously, and I was engulfed in a bear hug. Sokka murmured an apology in my ear and I sighed.

"Are you alright?" He pulled away and eyed my conspicuously.

"I'm fine. You just startled me. I'm not used to seeing you in Fire Nation armor. It still kind of scares me." Sokka patted my head soothingly.

"I'd take it off, but I don't think it'd be very safe." Sokka chuckled.

I gave a weak laugh too. Sokka trapped my chin between his fingers, lifting my eyes to meet his.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"Like I said, just a little nervous about being back in the Fire Nation." I repeated.

Sokka accepted this, and I returned to the deck. The sea was still churning inside me.

{BURNING WATER}

"Sokka?" I whispered.

I was whisked inside quickly, the door shutting with a soft click. Sokka's room was dim, and he pulled me into a tight embrace that made me laugh.

"What? Why are you laughing? Did I telepathically tell a meat joke?"

I flopped back onto his bed, laughing harder.

"Quiet! You know Katara is right next to us!" I just continued my incessant giggling.

Sokka rolled his eyes, climbing on the bed next to me.

"I guess this means I'm just going to have to make you be quiet."

Sokka smoothly rolled over on top of me, and locked his lips with mine. My laughter was cut off as I was otherwise occupied. I slid my arms around his neck as we continued to kiss, and his fingers danced dangerously close to the hem of my night shirt.

I paid little attention as he tugged lightly at, pulling it up to expose my belly. It was when he ran his hand over the ravaged skin of my back that I shoved him away in shock. The scars stung where they had been touched, and I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to ease the pain somewhat. It didn't make a difference.

Sokka tentatively laid a hand on my arm, a questioning expression dotting his face.

"I'm sorry." I muttered.

"Do you need me to get Katara? I don't know how I hurt you, but I know she'll be able to help." Sokka began a panicked ramble and I shushed him, finally unwinding from the pain.

"I'm sorry. That was my bad. You didn't do anything wrong." I was panting heavily, and Sokka still looked at me in confusion.

"What did I do?"

I turned around; lifting my shirt some, I showed him the angry red scars that had destroyed my back. It was quiet for a moment.

"Azula." I hissed.

Sokka reached a hand out and traced my back, careful to avoid the scars.

"Do you miss him?"

I swallowed hard, wondering if Sokka knew who 'him' was. I pulled my shirt down.

"The boy who gave you the betrothal necklace." Sokka clarified.

My chest untightened. I slowly nodded my head. I was pulled into a hug from behind.

"You know, you can forget about him. You have me now. And I would never hurt you."

I abruptly pushed away from him.

"I can't, Sokka!" I shouted. "You just don't understand! I'm unfixable! Forgetting him won't make me whole again. I will never be that way. What's so hard about understanding that?"

Sokka gave a sigh at my sudden outburst, and I lifted myself off the bed and out the door.

The sky was clear outside, and I could see each and every star clearly. I sat on a stray barrel and stared out on the water. I was glad it was warm enough to be outside like this. It was only a few minutes before Katara came to join me.

"I heard you and Sokka arguing. Is everything alright?"

I nodded blankly. I was more content with the solitude earlier.

"He also, told me about your…scars. Do you want me to try to soothe them? I can't make them go away, but it's the least I can do."

I turned and smiled, accepting her offer. The scars were giving me a constant burning sensation, and Katara's healing ability cooled them comfortably.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"You're welcome."

It was a satisfying silence as we sat under the moon and stars, the rhythm of the ocean as our background music.


	12. Reflection

Alright! Well that was a very emotion-filled chapter! Anyhoo, it'll get a little better in this chapter

{BURNING WATER}

I stared at my reflection in the water once more before heading back to camp. Katara and Toph were all sitting around the fire. Sokka was snooping around the food, and was the first to look up as I approached.

"Hikari?" he asked, his jaw slack in shock.

The rest of the gang looked up then, in awe for just a moment.

"Why is your hair black?" Toph asked bluntly.

I laughed, "I figured that I was pretty recognizable, so it was time to find a disguise. You like?" The silky black wig fell in slight waves to my waist. I looked like any other Fire Nation citizen now.

They all smiled in approval. I glanced around, suddenly noticing that there was someone missing.

"Where's Aang?" I asked.

Katara shrugged, "We haven't seen him since this morning."

"You don't look worried." I stated.

"Well he was pretty well disguised, and I'm sure Twinkletoes isn't stupid enough to bend." Toph said, before spitting on a nearby rock.

I raised an eyebrow and then looked at Sokka, hoping he had _something_ useful to add. He looked up at me from the pot, his cheeks bulging with food. Right, well that's great…

"I'll go looking for him." I offered, and started into town.

{BURNING WATER}

Now that I think about it, Aang's new clothes looked a lot like the school uniform from this province. I sighed in agitation, making my way to the school. It made me a little nervous to be back here, but as the Fire Nation's most prized weapon, I had been given an extensive tour of the entire nation. I remembered how strict the headmaster was at the school, and how he played favorites.

Inside, I talked to a woman who escorted me to the headmaster's office. He looked startled for a moment, taking in my appearance as if he recognized me. I fidgeted for a moment then stopped as he seemed to decide that I only looked similar.

"How may I help you ma'am?" He asked.

"My younger brother attends this school. My mother had asked me to come and retrieve him for her because she has no one to attend the animals while my father is gone." I lied. I hoped it was convincing enough for him.

"Really? What is his name?" He inquired.

I gulped, racking my brain for a random name. "Lee." was the first thing that popped into my head. I hoped Aang would respond. The headmaster lead me to the class rooms and the asked how old he was, "13." I answered.

It was a short walk to the right room. He slid open the door and asked for Lee. I stretched over his shoulder to glare at Aang. He immediately leaped from his seat and rushed out the door.

"Thank you headmaster. I apologize for having to take him today." I smiled, and he smiled back.

"Quite alright, Miss. Pass the message on to your mother to have a nice day." And with that he left us.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" I snapped at him.

He shrugged, "They brought me here, but I'm having fun! These kids here don't know how to have fun, so I want to stay and help them."

I sighed. "We can't afford for you to take this risk."

"Please, Hikari?" He begged.

"Alright, but be careful. And get home quickly tonight. No one knew where you went, and we were worried." I fudged that a little, since no one back in camp seemed to care much that he had randomly disappeared.

"Thanks Hikari." He smiled, and slipped back into the classroom.

I took the back way out, unnoticed.

{BURNING WATER}

I marveled at the fact that I could walk around the Fire Nation without being noticed on the spot. No one paid any attention to me as I bought food, got some new sandals, and relaxed in a green common area. But in the end it wasn't satisfying not being myself.

I stopped to look at my reflection in the water before heading back to camp. A single curl was sticking out from under the wig. It contrasted starkly with it. I ripped it off my head.

"Hikari?" I heard someone call.

I whipped around, my heart beating hard in my chest. It was only Katara. She sat next to me by the water.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I can't take wearing this wig anymore. It makes me, well, not me." I sighed.

Katara patted my shoulder.

"I'm going to burn it." I said.

Katara only smiled. "Don't. You'll need it."

"But I'm not myself with it!" I argued.

"Exactly. If you are yourself, then everyone would recognize you like a black sheep."

I nodded. Katara was right.

"We all have to be who we aren't so that we can stay here for the invasion. The more concealed we are the safer we are. We can't get caught, and we all have to make sacrifices to win this war."


	13. Dreams of Mud

It was hot in the tent, too hot. Even pressing myself against the cool rock sides didn't make a difference. I shoved Sokka away, a scream echoing around us.

"What was that?" I whispered to Sokka.

He shook his head.

"We should probably go check that out." I said.

He continued sitting there. I frowned.

"Stop being a big baby!"

I snaked out of the tent and peered around, trying to locate the source of the scream. It was then that I saw Aang thrashing on the ground. I dashed over, placing a hand on his shoulder to wake him.

"Are you ok?" I asked when his gray eyes fluttered open. "You were screaming."

His face flushed slightly. "I was having another nightmare."

"Well knock it off! Some of us want to get a little sleep around here before the invasion!" Toph shouted from a few feet away. I scowled at her, and Aang sat up.

"What was your nightmare about? It helps to share sometimes." Katara suggested.

I plopped down next to Aang only to have him hoist me up again.

"Hikari was bending mud because her neither of her elements were working! Hikari, you have to practice and be careful! Mud isn't dangerous!" Aang burst out.

I started bending to ease his worries, and it came to me as easy as it always has. I shrugged at him.

"See, just fine. I'm not going to bend mud, though I can." I laughed.

Toph had flopped back down and was snoring obnoxiously. I sighed. "Well I'm going back to bed." Aang grabbed my arm as I turned to go in the tent.

"No! You need to bend more!" He demanded.

I gave another heavy sigh and began bending. This was going to be a long night.


	14. Invasion Day

The dim tunnel was getting quite boring. It felt like Sokka, Toph, Aang, and I had been walking forever. It wasn't long though before we came to a split in the tunnel.

"I'll go this way, and you guys go that way. We can meet back up here before the eclipse is over." I said, and took off running down the left path.

The tunnel ended with a large steel door in which I proceeded to open. My heart sank when I realized it was only a war room. Disappointed, I moved to return to where the tunnels merged. But I halted when a painfully familiar voice called my name. Zuko was standing on the other side of the large table. Its little figurines had been scattered across the map of the nations.

I glared at him. "What?" I had wanted to yell it at him, but it merely came out as a hurt whisper, like that of a pouting child.

His features softened a bit, but soon hardened again as he spied Sokka's boomerang strapped securely to my hip. Sokka hadn't let me leave camp without it, even though I insisted that I would be perfectly capable of defending myself without it. I would just be a water bender. Did he think Katara was powerless? _You don't have your firebending remember? I just want you to be safe._

I sighed and rested my hand on the edge of it. Zuko's eyes flared slightly, but he otherwise displayed no emotion.

"Why are you here?" was all he asked.

I tried to bite back a nasty reply, but failed. "What do you think? I wouldn't return to this hell without a damn good reason!" I hissed.

He pinched the skin on the bridge of his nose; it was a gesture I used to love. That maybe I still love.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I wasn't going to let my memories get to me. For all I know, he could be here to kill me. Zuko had been staring at me this whole time as I gathered my thoughts.

"What?" I challenged.

"You're so beautiful. "

I froze. I never thought that now of all times I would be hearing that from Zuko. My hand slipped from the boomerang and I ran to him. He enclosed me in a hug that was gentle yet desperate. I didn't want to, but I could feel the sticky tears slipping down my face.

"Well, well. What a beautiful reunion! Too bad it'll have to end early." I whipped my head around , still clutching Zuko, and glared at Azula standing in the doorway.

She had a wicked smile splayed across her face. I tensed.

"What do you want, Azula?" Zuko demanded.

"Oh, I just wanted to join in on the fun. I mean, I couldn't let you destroy this bitch all by yourself." She said menacingly.

I stepped away from Zuko abruptly, eyeing them both suspiciously. Zuko looked hurt.

"Hikari, you know I would never hurt you." He said.

"Right, Zuko. Keep feeding her those lies. She's dumb enough to believe them, or matter of fact, anything."

"Shut up, Azula!" Zuko shouted.

I took another step back.

"Hikari, please. Azula is lying." He pleaded.

I looked from Azula to Zuko. Azula took her chance as I turned to speak to Zuko. I felt the fire incinerate my shirt before I had said a word. I thanked the gods silently that I put my hair up as I dropped to the ground in pain.

"Damnit Azula!" Zuko snapped.

Everything was fuzzy as my body processed that tremendous amount of pain. The skin on my back sizzled and popped and the room began to smell of burning flesh. It was a few moments before I managed to stand. Through the pain I wondered why I hadn't been killed already. I didn't wonder long though, and ran to the door.

Azula made no motion to stop me. She only smiled. I turned to face Zuko, making sure to cover my chest and spoke.

"You're just the same heart-breaking liar. You haven't changed at all."

{BURNING WATER}

Everyone gaped at my condition when I finally caught up with them. Sokka removed his shirt and handed it to me, which I gratefully accepted. As we loaded onto Appa, I snuggled close to Sokka. I knew Zuko would be watching.


	15. Nothing Else to Think About

I heard a knock on the door as I delivered another kick to the training dummy. Katara let herself in and I punched the dummy twice. Katara frowned then sighed.

"You're going to reopen your wounds if you keep doing that." She stated.

I kicked the dummy in the stomach. Sweat was starting to bead on the nape of my neck. Katara set down her bowl of water on a table and pulled me to the bed. I laid down, the constant healings becoming routine.

Katara pulled up my shirt and looked at the new burns on my back. They had bled a lot the first day or two, but after they closed up, they were only red. The new burns almost completely matched the scars, making everything swollen, red, and painful. Katara began her healing and I drifted off slightly. I knew she was talking but the healing was so soothing, and I couldn't get much sleep with the throbbing burns.

"So we let Zuko into our group today. He's going to teach Aang firebending. I wanted you to be included in the decision, but I knew you wouldn't come out." I tensed.

"You _what_?" I nearly screeched.

She shoved me back down on the bed, and I knew I almost reopened my wounds from the cold pain that seeped through my veins.

"Look, I know you and Zuko have issues. I don't know what it is though. It's been eating away at you ever since we were trapped in those caves under Ba Sing Se. But it's something you have to resolve for yourself, I can tell you that much."

I huffed, and Katara continued her work then left. I didn't want to think about what she had said, but I knew she was right. _He betrayed you and tried to kill you!_ another part of my mind argued. _But talking to him won't hurt _I countered._ It could mean the end of your life._ I sighed, _My life was over when he left me._

{BURNING WATER}

"_Let me out!" I screamed._

_The lady in black panted with the effort it took to restrain me. The speaking man had appeared, and was watching us struggle in the door of my room._

"_You can let her go." He said, and I bolted down the hall as soon as I felt her resistance leave. It was bright outside, and I had to cover my eyes so I wouldn't be blinded. I searched at the top of the palace steps for him, and I caught sight of a ship loading up. Fire blasted from my hands and feet as I bended to get closer. To my surprise, he hadn't even gotten on the ship._

"_Zuko!" I yelled._

_He looked up and I ran to him. He wrapped me in an embrace, and I lifted my hand to trace the bandage covering his eye._

"_What have they done to you?" I whispered, the tears beginning to streak down my face._

_Zuko placed his hand over mine and pulled it to his mouth, kissing my palm gently. _

"_Why only a letter?" I asked softly, but he only shook his head._

_I cried harder._

"_Don't leave me…" I choked out._

_Strong arms pulled me from Zuko, locking me securely on shore as he boarded the ship. I struggled to get away, but the soldier didn't give._

"_Zuko!" I shout at the top of my lungs. "Zuko!" _

_He looked back only once._

"_Don't leave me…"_

My throat was raw and my mouth was dry when I woke. I must've been talking in my sleep. It'd been a while since I'd had that dream. I pushed myself out of my tangled sheets. Sweat was causing my night shirt and shorts to cling to me.

I gave a sigh of relief that it wasn't the burns. Katara's healing session earlier today probably strengthened the scabs. I looked at them in a mirror, and confirmed my thoughts. I sat back down on my bed, and looked over at the still-sealed letter that Zuko had left when he had left. I was so mad then that I had wanted to burn it. But I didn't. Because I was madder at myself for thinking that I was going to do the same thing to him.

I slipped over to my door and out into the hall. I was the only one occupying a room down this hall, so I set out exploring. I wandered through the room across from mine, and then the one next to that. When I opened the door to the room across the hall, two doors down from mine I froze.

Zuko was sleeping in the bed across the room, the moonlight splashing over his face making him look nearly ghost-like. He stirred slightly as I tip-toed to the bedside. I leaned over, brushing a thumb across the scar that marred his face, which was so similar to my own. My heart ached; _this is what they did to him. _I would have jumped at the hand grabbing mine if I hadn't been pulled at the same time.

Zuko pulled me astride his waist, and I was left breathless and staring into his open, golden eyes.

"Are you a dream?" He whispered, bring my hand back to his face.

"No, no, no, no, no…" I whispered over and over, tears dripping from my face to make tiny puddles on his chest.

"Don't cry, Hikari." He murmured, wiping a tear from my cheek with his thumb.

"I'm so sorry." The tears followed faster as I said this. "I—" I hiccupped, "I was going to leave that place, and I realized how terrible it would have been for you if I had…" I hiccupped again.

"Let's not talk about this now." He said, and brought my face down to his own.

He brushed his lips across mine, and there was nothing else to think about.


	16. Bittersweet Air

I never liked Fire Nation theatre, so why did I think it was ok for Sokka to drag us all to an Ember Island Players performance? Yes, it was about us, but even Zuko agreed that the Ember Island Players were terrible. Well, I guess that argument wasn't much to my advantage.

So here I was, awkwardly sitting with Sokka on my left and Zuko on my right. Zuko slipped an arm around my shoulders, and Suki leaned forward from the other side of Sokka to give me a thumbs up. I covered my eyes with my hands and groaned.

"Are you ok?" Sokka prompted, at which received a glare from Zuko and a tighter arm around my shoulders.

"Fine." I replied curtly.

The lights dimmed and the play began. I couldn't help but giggle at the display of an obviously not funny Sokka and an over-dramatic Katara. Even though the looks were dead on, I cringed slightly when I appeared, and I automatically became defensive.

"I'm not that feisty!" I glared as the actress portraying me made a snappy reply to Sokka.

Zuko and Sokka turned to look at me simultaneously and I slumped back into my seat.

"Alright! Whatever!"

The play droned on, and I could feel myself getting all fidgety as the part about me and Sokka and the tent thing came up. It was Suki's turn to glare as my character threw herself all over Sokka's character. I covered my face with my hand, but continued to watch through the slits my fingers created.

By the time it covered what had happened to Zuko and I, I got up. I couldn't take sitting there any longer. I headed out to the balcony to get some fresh air. I turned when I heard footsteps following me. Zuko had left with me.

"Are you ok?" He echoed Sokka.

"I'm fine." I said, but I knew he could tell I was lying. He could always tell.

Zuko was quiet.

"I couldn't watch that anymore." I said at last.

"I know! The Ember Island Players are terrible!" Zuko exclaimed.

"That's not what I mean. It reminds me too much of things I want to forget." I whispered.

Zuko appeared next to me, copying me by leaning on the balcony railing. "Hikari, it's ok, and I forgive you. You forgive me. Why is this still bothering you?"

"It's not…I just…I don't know." I replied with a sigh.

"We'd better head back in before the others miss us." Zuko suggested.

"I'll stay out for just a little longer." I said, and he left.

It wasn't long until I heard another set of footsteps. I turned and glared, ready to tell Zuko that I didn't feel like coming back in. But Sokka appeared in the doorway, concern plastered all over his face.

"Hikari? You've been gone for a while, and Zuko came back without you. Are you ok?" He asked.

Seemed like that was a popular question for me tonight.

"I'm ok. I just don't want to watch that anymore." I said.

"Sorry, I thought everyone would enjoy seeing it." He said quietly.

I nodded, agreeing that his intentions were good. "It's just that not everyone wants to revisit their past."

Sokka's face was grim. "So it's Zuko who made you the betrothal necklace?" He asked suddenly.

I looked at him surprised. "Yes." I whispered, fingering it.

"I see how it is now. It really was just a little affair." He turned to go back to the theater.

"Sokka! Wait!" I reached out to stop him, and he caught my hand, pulling me to him.

"Sokka I—" He cut me off with a kiss.

It was a bittersweet moment that ended too quickly. He left without another word.


	17. Unusually on Edge

I sat on the steps in the Fire Lord's summer home. It was hot, and everyone was preparing to go down to the beach. But after the night at the Ember Island Players performance, I didn't want to go anywhere. I gave a hefty sigh. Seems I've been doing that a lot lately.

I ran my hands along the exposed skin of my back. It was rough and hurt, but Katara's healing sessions had helped tremendously. And she had told me that the sea would help to cleanse it too. Toph sat down suddenly next to me and I jumped.

"Wow Firefly, you're a little on edge. You've been like that lately though. What's up?"

I stared at the blind earth bender for a moment.

"You have to say something soon. Is it about Sokka and Zuko?" She asked.

I tensed and she laughed. "How did you know?"

"Because when I mentioned them earlier, your heart started racing."

I stretched and fidgeted with my fingers.

"You love Zuko right?"

"Yes."

"What about Sokka?" She questioned.

I was silent for a minute. "I don't know."

"They both care about you."

"I know."

It was quiet again. I shuffled my feet.

"This is really bothering you." Toph commented.

I nodded, and then replied "yes" when I remembered she couldn't see me. Toph stood and brushed her hands off as if she had finished her job.

"Well, this is something you'll have to work out for yourself." She said, and the words sounded awfully familiar.

I rested my head between my knees in frustration.

"Thanks Toph." I grumbled. She chuckled.

"You know, Hikari, you can't have them both. One of them is going to get hurt, no matter which route you take. You and Zuko share some things that many people don't. If you choose him, Sokka will be hurt. But Sokka knows this.

It's like the opportunity to see a lion turtle. If you don't seize the chance, you may never get another one. If you sit here moping around, you're all going to end up hurting." Her footsteps brushed the stone as she walked out of the courtyard. The door slammed.

I huffed. Was she telling me to choose Zuko?

{BURNING WATER}

The sun beating down on my back made my scabs itch. My fingers twitched and I continually rubbed my back to scratch it.

"You're going to tears those scabs if you keep rubbing them." Zuko murmured, slipping his shirt over my head. I wriggled through the hole, helping him pull it over my bathing suit. His shirt swallowed me, and when I looked down I realized that it made me look as if I had nothing but his shirt on.

I cleared my throat, embarrassed. When we caught up with everyone else on the beach, Toph waggled her eyebrows at me. She had something to do with this. I glanced at Zuko only to see him eying me up and down. I could feel my face flush. Maybe there was something different about my relationship with Zuko. I was never this flustered around Sokka.

A blanket had already been laid out, and I plopped down on it. I didn't feel like getting in the water quite yet. Zuko sat next to me, his leg touching mine and his arm around me. My heart thumped against my ribs. _If I keep over thinking this, I'm going to freak out._

Sokka was sitting in the sand several feet away, pouting. I swallowed hard.

"Are you ok?" Zuko asked. "You look red. Are you hot?"

"Uh, yeah. Let's go swim." I hopped up, lifting the shirt over my head.

"Uh-uh Hikari, keep that on. I don't want the sun to irritate your wounds." Katara called from the waves. I hissed in response.

"Are you coming?" Zuko asked, already halfway to the water's edge.

"Yeah!" I dashed to his side. "Are you sure it's ok to keep your shirt on? I mean, I don't want you to not have a shirt or anything 'cause I still have to wash the others. And it wouldn't take me very long to run in and get another and I don't mind it'll only take a second—"

Zuko intercepted my words. "It's ok Hikari. I don't want the burns to get any worse."

I nodded, ashamed of my leakage of words. Zuko only grabbed my hand and led me to the water. I stopped at the edge, waiting for the waves to tickle my toes. The water was surprisingly warm as it washed over my feet. I waded out, Zuko still holding my hand.

"Soak your back!" Katara shouted. I huffed, sliding onto my knees, thus submerging my back. I looked up at Zuko, and realized what kind of position I was in. I shot back up immediately, stalking back to shore.

Katara shouted some more, but I shouted back. "I don't want to be in the water anymore!" I flopped back onto the blanket. Zuko's shirt was now clinging to me in the most uncomfortable way. This was not turning out to be as fun as I thought it would be.

Toph slapped my arm, and I jumped. I was grateful though that she had known not to slap my back.

"Lighten up, Firefly. I just wanted to help you out." The blind earth bender smiled. _She_ does _want me to choose Zuko. _"Don't worry, Sokka will understand." I stared at her dumbfounded as she walked back to her miniature Ba Sing Se made of sand.

{BURNING WATER}

_What have I gotten myself into? _I dug my hands into my hair in exasperation. I was pacing back in forth in front of Sokka's room. I swear, if it was anyone else they would have noticed me by now. I attempted to smooth my hair. What was happening to me? I took a deep breath and knocked on his door. He opened it not a second later, as if he was in a similar dilemma as me, wondering if he should go find me.

"Can I…come in?" I asked. Sokka nodded.

I sat on the edge of his bed, trying to relax. Every muscle in my body was tense with anxiety.

"I—" We both started at the same time.

"You first." I whispered.

"Hikari…" He pulled me off the edge of the bed, "I love you."

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. It was an awkward silence for some time.

"Sokka, I—" I sighed.

"I get it." Sokka murmured. "You love Zuko." I nodded my head mutely. I started to pull away from him, but he wrapped me in an embrace. "Just let me hold you."

I nodded again, unable to find any words. I buried my face in his chest, not wanting him to see me cry.


	18. Worth the Risk

Whew! 18 chapters! Hope you're all still reading. I have a sequel planned for this story, and I guarantee it'll be good. Please remember to review!

{BURNING WATER}

_It was strange when I dreamed like this: watching myself go through memories I don't quite remember._

"_Momma, Momma!" A younger me yelled, not more than four. My mother, a beautiful woman of twenty five, sat in the field of bright fire lilies. No wonder I love these flowers so much. I ran to my mother, and she embraced me like it would be the last time. It was always that way, never knowing when she was going to lose her only baby._

"_What is it sweetie?" She asked. I sighed, the sound of her voice similar to that of ringing bells. Her curly chocolate hair fell to her waist, and her blue eyes smiled. Where are you?_

"_Momma, Momma!" I heard myself cry, now five. My mother reached for me, but the soldiers held her back. The lady in black carried me away. It was that day that I began my training. That day they began molding my mind and body to be a ruthless, emotionless weapon. That day that I last saw my mother._

_These dreams never ended the right way. I always wanted to step in and pull the crying child version of me from the lady in black, and hand her back to my mother. But that wasn't possible. It would never be possible._

I sat up abruptly, causing Zuko to stir next to me. His golden eyes fluttered open, watching me carefully. I felt a hand on my arm, persuading me to slip back into bed, into unconsciousness. I leaned forward, placing my head in my hands. I could never sleep after dreams like that.

Zuko's hand attempted again to settle me back into sleep, but I brushed him away. He sat up then, turning my face in his hands to look into his golden eyes. They flickered with worry.

"I'm fine." I assured him, but the words felt dry and unconvincing in my mouth. He raised his eyebrows and I couldn't help but start giggling.

"I see so much more of you when you let out your emotions. What has the Avatar done to you, to get you to be this way?" Zuko asked once I had calmed my laughter.

"I'm sure more of it has to do with being outside of the Fire Nation palace than Aang's doing. But having such great friends definitely has an impact." I told him.

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad that you are the way you are. And that you are here with me." Warmth spread inside me at his words. He brought his hand to my face again, running his thumb across my bottom lip before kissing me gently. I had no patience for this though, and shoved him onto his back. I straddled his waist and resumed the kissing in a much rougher manner.

I pulled away as his chest heaved, and I realized that he was laughing. "What?" I asked innocently.

"Well that's certainly something that you haven't lost. I like this expressive you, but I also like the blunt and feisty you." I smiled at the thought, wondering how the two sides could co-exist inside of me without clashing. "It's like your elements," he said, as if reading my mind, "they are complete opposites, yet they exist in your body as one."

I squealed suddenly as he flipped me over and pinned me to the bed, ravishing my neck and face and any skin his could reach with butterfly kisses. I squirmed, impatient for him to kiss me for real. When he did it was as if molten lava had exploded through my body. He edged his fingers around my night shirt teasingly, but I'm sure it only felt that way because he was avoiding the scars on my back. With my shirt hiked up he began to travel down from my neck.

A loud series of knocks on the door startled us and we jumped apart. Zuko ran a hand through his mussed hair, and I yanked my shirt down. "Stop playing funsies and get up! You're already late for Aang's training, Zuko. And Katara needs your help with breakfast, Hikari." Toph's obnoxious voice scolded them from the hall way. I finally released my breath when I heard her footsteps retreat down the hall.

My scalp itched with embarrassment, knowing that Toph knew exactly what we were doing. Zuko's pale skin was flushed a red that mirrored my feelings. But as always, I was never one to blush.

I leaped from the bed and slipped into my everyday clothes of a red halter top, and red capris. Zuko wrapped his arms around me from behind as I was tying on the betrothal necklace that he had given me. "You know," I started, "it's really difficult to put this on in this position."

Zuko chuckled. "Then maybe I should help." He removed his hands from my waist, and grabbed the silky ribbon, tying it securely. I put my fingers to the ivory fire lily, fingering its smooth surface. He noticed this, and suddenly the air was a bit heavier for me. I watched Zuko's face that was reflected in the mirror. He acted as if was going to ask something, but wasn't sure.

"What?" I prompted quietly. "If you're going to ask something, then ask silly."

He opened his mouth for a moment then swiftly replied, "Nothing." I shrugged and watched him leave the room. Weird.

{BURNING WATER}

I leaned leisurely against the wall watched Aang and Zuko practice firebending. Both were sweating and panting, but neither seemed to be losing stamina. When they stopped for a break, Zuko cocked an eyebrow at me, a silent question that asked why I was still there.

"What? Can't I stay and watch?" I fake pleaded.

"No." Zuko said sternly, but I could see the amusement in his eyes, "It's either train or leave."

"Oh please." I waved a hand at him lazily. "You just want your butt kicked by a girl."

I could hear Aang stifle a giggle behind Zuko. I had to stifle one myself when Zuko whipped around to reprimand him. We both burst into laughter and I could practically see the steam rising off of Zuko's head.

"Alright. If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."

I leaped away as he lunged for me. He recovered quickly, but then I was on top of him. We struggled and toppled and rolled all over and at some point completely forgot that we were supposed to be firebending. We paused and I threw my hands up in victory, screaming "I've won!" And then I was shoved off.

Jumping to my feet we ensued in a battle of fire, strike matching strike, fire matching fire. Eventually other spectators wandered over. Toph got a hoot out of it, laughing every time I made a fool of Zuko. Katara rolled her eyes, but even I could see that she was amused. Sokka, on the other hand, looked as if he wanted to incinerate Zuko on the spot.

I was too distracted to make out what Suki said to him. The next opportunity I got to peek at them, they were gone. I looked back at Zuko to see his hand coming straight for my face. I deflected it and his smiled triumphantly. "You seem distracted." He said.

"Not at all." I replied, licking my lips.

"Uh, guys?" Aang's voice barely penetrated my senses. "Aren't we supposed to be training me?"

Both of us stopped and looked at Aang. Zuko stood and then helped me to my feet. I scratched the back of my head. "Sorry, I guess we got a little carried away."

Aang and Zuko went back to their training, and I resumed my position on the wall. Sometimes I kind of missed the fighting.

{BURNING WATER}

I watched Katara serve dinner, barely listening to the idle conversation going on around me.

"So, Hikari…" I looked up as Toph directed her attention at me. "What about your parents. I mean, we know that mine were overbearing, and you've met Katara and Sokka's dad. And I'm assuming you're well acquainted with Zuko's dad." The last part was definitely meant for a joke. The whole group laughed, now attuned to our conversation. "But, you've never said anything about your parents."

I looked into my lap, and I could feel Zuko tense next to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and I brought my eyes to meet his questioning ones. I inhaled sharply.

"My father was a Fire Nation general, and my mother is a Southern waterbender. I never knew my father and I was separated at five from my mother, to begin training. I haven't seen her since." I said quietly. The circle was hushed.

Zuko spoke up at this time. "We think she was taken to a Fire Nation prison."

"Oh, Hikari, we didn't know." Katara murmured.

"It's ok. I supposed you were bound to find out eventually. It wasn't like I was trying to hide it though." It was quiet again.

"I'm gonna go for a walk on the beach." I leapt up and was gone before anyone could protest. It wasn't until I slowed to a slow walk that I realized Zuko had followed me.

"Hikari?" He called.

"Yeah?"

"Are you ok? I know that's a tough subject for you."

"I'm fine." I reassured him. "Which prison do you think she's in?"

"I don't know exactly, but I'm sure that if we did some digging around, we could find out. Do you want to go through with this, this close to the comet?"

I turned toward him, leaning into Zuko. "I'm afraid I won't be able to if I don't now."

"You know that there's a chance that you mother…she could be…"

"I'm willing to take that risk."


End file.
